Emergalv
The Name Emergalv is the name given to a fantasy roleplay setting created in 2002-2005 by Avian Savara. Emergalv also refers to the main continent which serves as the theater for stories, legends and historical chronicles. The name Emergalv comes from the ancient language of the Amyul, a mysterious extinct race. The name means 'hope at sea', and fittingly so, has become the haven of refugees, exiles and colonists. The small continent (roughly the same size as the United Kingdom in our world) is the site of many a conflict, many a truce, and much tension. Four major people live on Emergalv and its sister island Sejko, and their non-military interaction is limited to common trade and some rare tourism. A work in progress, Emergalv is sometimes known as the Chronicles of Emergalv when referring to the second edition Advanced Dungeons and Dragons(AD&D) campaigned develloped cerca spring 2005. = Peoples = The Noerban (sing. noerba, plur. noerban) are the native people of Emergalv. They name their country Arhumlungd and thrive off agriculture(cereals and vegetables) and hunting. They do not keep livestock because of the enormous costs of feeding cattle. They do not use currencies, and in turn choose to trade in goods. Gold is exported to other countries for silver, which they use for a variety of purposes, including the adorning of weapons and a special sort of healing unknown to any other people on Emergalv. are The Noerban have a warrior tradition and arrange their warrior disciplines in six castes. Each caste is equal (unlike the social classes of their eastern and northern neighbours) in their rights and responsabilities. The major difference between them is the weapon that their warrior-women learn from the age of 12. The population of Arhumlungd varies little from one decade to another, and keeps a proportion of 1 third men to 2 thirds women. This apparently disproportionate arrangement comes from a combination of the casualties of earlier wars, the one-for-one birth ratio from one generation to the next, the inexistance of marriage in their culture, and the fact that men and women only meet once a year at the spring festival, which lasts 2-month. The Noerban take a very military view on the warrior arts, and prepare for war in order to live in peace forever. They have never once attempted conquest on another people, and in turn have only been victimised by the many settlers that came upon Emergalv throughout the ages. Their only true allies who have never declared war on them are the Sejkian who settled central Emergalv in the early ages of discovery. Both people have found many common traits, including the equality of genders and their style of self-preservation-only warfare. Originally from the lands of Atnaxotja on the main contient of Amyulef, the Sejkians (sing. sejkian, plur. sejkians) were the first outsider people to land and colonize Emergalv. They first settled on the unocupied island of Sejko and then migrated in parts to central Emergalv where their various fishing and lumber towns formed a federation of nation-states that rules to this day. An industrious, the Sejkians are master learners. They take the best crafts of other peoples and perfect them. They trade in silver mostly, and, like the Noerban, export their gold for silver. Though they do not make coins from the silver, they trade in jewelry and pieces of silver broken from it called "hack". The Isle of Sejko was colonized by Farianvale in the year 554 (by Farian reckoning). The Sejkians were subjugated and victimized by the Farian invaders, but from them have learned modern ship building, religion and knighthood, which they all improved to perfection. During and after the conquest, many insular Sejkians moved south to the independant Iotof federation, clearly doubling the population of the southern state. (more to come: the Farians of Farianvale and Nagled of Shammish Manjiad) = Characters = Player Characters Sir Patrick of Stanway (Full name Patrick Richard Stanway). A young up-and-coming knight who was commissioned in the year of AoM 615 by King Farian the 25th and his superior officers. His father Baron Richard Armand is a veteran of several conflicts, and has retired to his barony in West Farianvale. His mother is a caring old woman, known in the nobility as a very good judge of character. Patrick has a wayward brother who, jealous of the attentions their father gave Patrick, fled home to pursue different goals. Rumours have it that he is part of a criminal syndicate operating in the heart of HighBurg, the King's city. Patrick is well-versed in the Farian knightly traditions, a seldom-admitted poet, and a strong leader. His is the quest that many a knight of Farianvale would eagerly step up to take up. Though he is grateful for his King's order, he does not realise much how important his mission is until he meets with a Nagled rebel leader, Almreg, who holds the key to end the war to come. Chuck, son of Buck. The slow-witted farmboy, elder son in a family of 13, is a loyal and obedient squire to Patrick. Physically active, the young man learned warfare on the fly, while in the Lakeside militia under Baron Fitgerald's rule. Though he has grown to mistrust military types and dislike military life, Chuck is naive enough to follow orders, and has found a just superior in Patrick, who, though he wishes his squire had more brains to talk of, knows the boy to be of great use. During the middle and later stages of the journey around Emergalv, Chuck has discovered a hobby in collecting strange and foreign weapons that borders on kleptomania. He dreams one day of establishing his own chicken farm. Chuck somehow has the latent ability, or so he claims, to communicate with fowl. The strange ability apparently appeared after a dream he had in the tower of the Shamshi Almreg while convalescent from an earlier skirmish. Alcyna, the rogue. Not much can be said of the casual, easy-going trickstress. A collector of rare items, her greed has pushed her to accompany - read: force her presence - on Sir Patrick and his following. Alcyna's background is muddled, though it is openly known that she was a Farmer's daughter who ran away to the city. She lived in HighBurg all her life, begging and stealing, breaking and entering, pickpocketing, word-fencing with passerbys and generally partaking in the wealth of others while they least expected it. Alcyna is a talkative, often comical young woman. Her average looks and moderate city-girl charms serve her best in urban environments, but outin the wilderness, Alcyna is prone to wild improvisation that sometimes leads to crazy plots a little too complex and risky for the straightforward Sir Patrick. A fervent non-believer, Alcyna omes often into ideological conflict with Brother Geoffrey, the group's healer. She also bears a sister-like love-and-hate relationship to Chuck, whose laggy wits offend her need for engaging conversation. Alcyna suffers from a lack of credibility, mostly due to her vague background and roguish tendencies. A loner in the crowd, Alcyna prefers the creature comforts she can afford or make others afford, and looks for the most flamboyant and fantastic means to her ends. Brother Geoffrey. Raised by his widower of a father in the highlands of the Farrock Chain, Geoffrey entered the Jovallite Monkhood at an early age. He spent all his life in the monastery, taking care of plants and copying texts. He is a confident, well-learned monk, eager to serve his god Jovallon and put his skills to good use. Two decades of tending the monastery greenhouses has lent him valuable knowledge of plant types and their uses. His concoctions can help purge out poisons, recover lost blood and heal wounds of any kind. Being the elder in the party, his advice is sought by the younger ones. His open-mindedness, unconventional outlook on life and trust of goodwill would make him the perfect ambassador, were it not for his obligation to the monastery and Sir Patrick. Geoffrey has consorted freely with foreign leaders such as Shamshi Almreg and Shamshi Nasune, probing for their motivations and sensing an oportunity for peace. A compassionate mender of wounds, both physical and spiritual, Geoffrey's skills and dedication could be well ported to the political realm, where his willingness to listen as well as speak would smoothen out the relations between Kings. Geoffrey has been the glue that holds Patrick's religious convictions together, the father-figure that has kept Chuck on the up, and a balm on Alcyna's unfortunate internal struggles. A List of Non-Player Characters Farianvale (full names in parenthesis) *'King Farian the 25th' (Bjorn Marcus Maudisson) *'Prince Serge' (Serge Bjorn Maudisson) *'Queen Annabel', wife if King Farian the 25th *'Lord Ulrich the Restless', First Knight (Ulrich Frantz Meyer, Knight) *'Lord Frantz the Great' (Frantz Basil Meyer, Knight) *'Captain Sean the Miller', of Fort Farrockton *'Captain Maffel', militia captain of the Fitgerald Barony *'Baron Gerald Fitzgerld', a Lakeside Lord *'Corporal Remus', son of Mirol, militial boy *'Brother Rocko', senior monk at Farrockton *'Baron Richard of Stanway' (Richard Armand Stanway, Knight) *'Sir Charles of Stanway' (Charles Armand Stanway, Knight) Noerban Refugees *'Vohanna of Clervol', ringleader *'Markoo', lumberjack and bodyguard to Vohanna *'Florai', scout *'Dorij', scout *'Alij', warrior-woman *'Merinj', archer *'Jauq', warrior and miner Sejkians from the village of Iobmar *'Hiufor', Ranger Leader and mayor *'Ikvo', captain of the Gelvalth *'Odja Heartsworn', Shipwright and first mate of the Gelvalth *'Laswet', Village Elder *'Erce', smith *'Onsa', village healer Nagled *'Shamshi Almreg', Rebel leader, tribes of Tuath *'Ahmed', Warrior-Priest and Almreg's advisor *'Shamshi Nasune', Rebel collaborator, tribes of Tuath *'Qerif', personal friend and advisor to Nasune = Short Stories = During the fall of 2005, Avian Savara (who was Dungeon Master for the AD&D sessions that started in spring 2005) wrote 3 short stories to introduce the players to the different worldviews of the nations that live on Emergalv. These shorts were written after a long hiatus in the game sessions. To date, only two sessions have been hosted since the writing of the short stories, a last session is in the preparation before the next campaign. The stories are hosted on the official Emergalv Site. * My Adoptive People. An autobiographical tale of Vohanna of Clervol's early life until her meeting with Sir Patrick and his group. * An Argument at Farrock Keep. A clash of generations. Lord Ulrich the Restless and his father Lord Frantz the Great have an argument during dinner over at their Farrock estate. * Veobag. The autobiographical recounting of the recent life of one Veobag, Nagled cavalry leader. = Related Articles = * Farianvale and the Farians * Amyulef and the Amyul * Sejko and the Sejkians * Arhumlungd and the Noerban or Myunfaeluk * Shammish Manjiad and the Nagled * Emergalv Pronounciation Guide = External Links: = Chronicles of Emergalv Official Site Category:RPG